Immendorff’s later works, while forsaking the more overt imagery of his past for a cleaner, simplified canvas, still retain a common bold thread intrinsic to his oeuvre. Art quotes are found mainly in Immendorff's later works. This is due to his interest in the history of art, which accompanied him throughout his entire practice. And as well, he had to find a method which made it possible to continue his work despite his worsening illness.

Immendorff was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in 1998. When he could not paint with his left hand any more, he switched to the right. In November 2005, he was admitted to a hospital, and as of 2006, he used a wheelchair full-time and did not paint anymore.

“Everyone is suffering from something. The disease is in the end just another way of our own.” (Jörg Immendorff)